Open letter to Gurmehar Kaur

These days a Facebook post from you has gone viral. In that Facebook post you have commented on the recent events at Ramjas college. I am writing this open letter in response to your post.

Before I begin I would like to make two things absolutely clear. First I have a great respect for the sacrifices that your father and thousands of others like him have made in the service of the nation. No words can suffice to express the gratitude and respect I have for him and the institution he served – the Indian Armed Forces. Second I condemn all violence that happened in the Ramjas college – whether it was done by ABVP or the Left-Wing students. Violence is not the answer in a discourse

Coming to my main point. You are trying to defend the freedom of speech of people like Umar Khalid. Your Father sacrificed his life fighting the Pakistanis and terrorists and here you are siding with people who are shouting “Bharat Tere Tukde Honge”. “Kashmir Maange Azaadi”, “Bastar Maange Azaadi”.

Do you realize that in the eyes of Umar Khalid and his comrades the institution in which your father served is an occupying army? The men that your father fought against (men like Afzal Guru and Burhan Wani) are NOT terrorists but heroes and “Freedom Fighters”.

If you think that these thoughts of Umar Khalid and others are correct; logically your father was wrong and his sacrifice was in vain.

It is your democratic right to think in this way but in my humble opinion this is a sad state of affairs.

In a previous video, you said that your mother told you “It was not Pakistan, but the war that killed your dad.” I wish you had asked her “Why did the war start?” It was not your father that crossed the LoC and occupied the mountains. It was Pakistan that did it and caused the war that martyred your father. If Pakistan is not responsible, then is it your opinion that the Indian Army should have just let Pakistan occupy those mountains and send in more terrorists who may one day have attacked you at your hometown?

What you are unable to understand is that it is because of the sacrifices of your father and thousands of other martyrs like him that the people you are supporting are freely able to shout these anti-national slogans. It is a democratic country and this freedom of expression is possible only in a democracy which in turn is enriched and protected by your father’s blood.

In the end I would like to say that if you want to oppose ABVP for their violence and political positions you are free to do so. However please do not desecrate your father’s memory by siding with likes of Umar Khalid who does not value your father’s sacrifice for this great nation.

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